Exceptional circumstances

Exceptional Circumstances are events or problems which you did not expect and which stop you being able to perform to the best of your abilities in your studies. For example, bereavement, unexpected personal or family problems or illness might be considered as an exceptional circumstance. Long term problems such as ongoing financial difficulties or ongoing health problems may not be accepted as an exceptional circumstance. If you have long term problems which affect your studies you should always let your school know. You may be able to access some additional support from the University’s Disability Team. You may also wish to think about taking a Leave of Absence from your course (also called suspending your study)..

It is sometimes possible to change your course to study another course at Aston. This can depend on whether you have the right grades for entry onto the course, the progress you have made on your existing course so far and if there is space for you on the new course. You need to start by deciding what course you would like to study and then contacting the admissions staff to see if they can offer you a place. It is not normally possible to change your course part way through the year and you may have to wait until the start of the next academic year to start your new course.

You would normally need to apply for your new course through UCAS and it is not normally possible for you to start your new course at your new University part way through the year. You will probably find that you will need to wait until the start of the next academic year to start your new course.

If you do not want to continue to study at Aston then you will need to confirm this by writing to your School of Study. If you are a UK or EU funded student then you will need to tell Student Finance England (SFE) (or Student Finance Services for EU students) that you have left your studies. You can do this using a change of circumstances form (CO1) which is available on the SFE website and also from the Hub. Click here to download the form CO1.

If you will no longer be an Aston student then you cannot continue to live in Aston University accommodation. You need to go to the Accommodation Office in Stafford Tower and take evidence that you are leaving Aston. Once you have returned your keys, your accommodation fees will be reassessed. You can request any refund you are due through MAP.

You will normally have to pay tuition fees for the part of the year you have already attended at Aston. There are different ways in which the amount of fees you have to pay is calculated as it is depends on whether you are a Home, EU or International student and whether you are studying an Undergraduate or Postgraduate course. Once your transfer or withdrawal has been processed, your tuition fees will be reassessed by the University. International students and Postgraduate students will be reassessed on a pro rata basis. Home/EU students will be reassessed using deadlines which are published on the University’s website. If this means that you have paid too much in tuition fees then you can request a refund through MAP.

Your tuition fee loan should still be paid to the University. However, the amount that is paid may change after Student Finance England (SFE) has been notified about you leaving your course. Depending on what time in the academic year you stop attending University, SFE may just pay the reassessed amount of tuition fees to the University or it may still pay the original full amount. If too much money is paid to the University then you can request a refund through MAP. The refund will be paid to you and then you will need to decide whether to pay it to SFE or keep it to use in the future.

You must tell SFE as soon as possible if you will no longer be studying this year or if you change course and/or University. You can do this using a change of circumstances form (CO1) which is available on the SFE website and also from the Hub. Click here to download the form CO1.

Once SFE receives additional confirmation from the University, they will reassess your funding entitlement for the year. You would not normally be asked to repay any money you receive from student loans until after you have finished your studies. If you are withdrawing from your course and will be working then you will be asked to start repaying your loans from the April after your withdrawal unless you are earning insufficient money. Your grants will also be reassessed and you may find that you have been overpaid. If you will be continuing with your studies then this overpayment can be taken off any grant payments you are entitled to receive in the future. If you will no longer be a student then you may be asked to make arrangements to repay any overpayment.

All students who can access student funding from the UK government can normally receive funding for the ordinary length of their course plus one extra year. Any years that you have previously studied at Aston or elsewhere or any repeat years of study are taken into account and can reduce the number of years you can be funded for. Even if you have only attended 1 day, it is counted as a whole year.

If it will only take one year longer to complete your studies then you will just use up your extra year of funding. If it is going to take more than one year longer to complete your studies or if you have already used your extra year’s funding, then you may find that you cannot get help with your tuition fees or the grant for part of your course. This will be applied to the earlier years of your course and your funding entitlement will be saved for the later years of your course. Exceptions can be made for students who have compelling personal reasons for taking longer to complete their studies.

The years that you have previously studied at Aston (and any other Universities) will be taken into account when your funding entitlement for your future course is assessed. If you have more than one year previous study then you may find that you cannot get help with your tuition fees or the grant for part of your course. This will be applied to the earlier years of your course and your funding entitlement will be saved for the later years of your course. Exceptions can be made for students who have compelling personal reasons for taking longer to complete their studies.

You will become liable to repay your student loans in the April after you complete your studies. This means that if you withdraw from University before April, then you may be liable to start making repayments in just a few months time. Remember that you only have to repay your student loans when you income is above £15,000 per year and if you are not earning that much then can defer your repayments. You can also defer your repayments if you decide return to your studies and start a new course.

you are thinking of changing course or leaving university and you are in the UK with a student visa then you should seek advice from one of our International Student Advisers in the International Student Support Unit. Any changes you make to your planned studies can have serious implications for your visa and Aston University may be obliged to report these changes to the UK Border Agency. If you will no longer be studying at Aston University then your current visa may no longer be valid. If you are changing course at Aston and it will now take longer for you to complete your studies then you may need to extend your student visa. You can contact the ISSU on 0121 204 4567 or by calling into The Hub or click here for ISSU.

We understand that sometimes, full time students have to take a break from their studies. This could be because you are unwell, or because you have financial difficulties or for other personal reasons. Aston students in situations like this can suspend their studies be asking for a Leave of Absence. A Leave of Absence can technically be given for up to 2 years but is most commonly given for one academic year.

You will need to speak to your School. You will be asked to complete an Exceptional Circumstances and Absence Form (which you can either get from your School, or from The Hub ). In most cases, your School will be able to give you an informal decision quite quickly but your form will have to be passed to the Exceptional Circumstances and Absences Panel to be formally approved. Check with your School to see when the Panel meets and make sure your application is submitted on time.

You need to discuss the period you wish to take as your Leave of Absence with your School The exact length of time will depend on how far into the academic year or term/teaching period you are and whether you will need to return in less than one year if you need to repeat part of your studies.

You do not have to pay tuition fees whilst taking a Leave of Absence but you may have to pay tuition fees for the part of the year you have attended. There are different ways in which the amount of fees you have to pay is calculated as it is depends on whether you are a Home, EU or International student and whether you are studying an Undergraduate or Postgraduate course. Once your Leave of Absence has been approved, your tuition fees will be reassessed by the University.

International students and Postgraduate students will be reassessed on a pro rata basis. Home/EU students will be reassessed using deadlines which are published on the University’s website. If this means that you have overpaid tuition fees, you can request a refund through MAP.

Your tuition fee loan should still be paid to the University. However, the amount that is paid may change after Student Finance England (SFE) has been notified of your Leave of Absence. Depending on what date in the academic year you stop attending University, SFE may just pay the reassessed amount of tuition fees to the University or it may still pay the original full amount. If too much money is paid to the University then you can request a refund through MAP. The refund will be repaid to you, not to SFE and you will need to decide whether to repay SFE there and then or whether to save the money for future use.

You must tell SFE as soon as possible if you take a Leave of Absence. You can do this using a change of circumstances form (CO1) which is available on the SFE website and also from the Hub. Click here to download the form CO1. Your funding entitlement will then be reassessed

Any absence of up to 60 days should be disregarded and you can still receive funding during this time. This means that if your Leave of Absence will last no more than 60 days, you should be able to continue to receive student funding as normal.

SFE also has discretion to consider student circumstances and may decide that all or part of the financial support is still payable. Most students do not receive funding whilst during a Leave of Absence.

Once SFE receives notification that you are taking a Leave of Absence, they will reassess your funding entitlement for the year. You would not normally be asked to repay any money you receive from student loans until after you have finished your studies. Your grants will also be reassessed and you may find that you have been overpaid and this overpayment can be taken off any grant payments you are entitled to receive in the future.

You will normally be able to get student funding for your original course length such as a 4 year sandwich degree) plus one extra year. If taking a Leave of Absence will mean that it is going to take you a year longer to complete your studies, then you will use up this extra year. If you have already had to repeat some of your studies, have previously studied at another University or if you have to repeat in the future, then you may find that you cannot get help with your tuition fees or the Maintenance grant for a year of your course. Exceptions can be made to this for students who have compelling personal reasons for repeating their studies.

You need to be a full time student in attendance at Aston in order to live in Residences. You will need to ask your school to inform Residences that you have been granted a Leave of Absence and you will need to return your keys. Your accommodation fees will then be reassessed and you can request any refund due to you through MAP.

Most students cannot claim benefits whilst they are taking a Leave of Absence but there are some exceptions. If you have dependent children, have a disability or if you have been forced to suspend your studies because of ill health and have been given sick notes by your GP then you may qualify for Social Security Benefits. Please book an appointment to see our Student Adviser on 0121 204 4007 for further information.

Yes, you can submit an application to the Access to Learning Fund in the same way as any other Aston University student. Remember to explain your situation fully and provide supporting evidence where necessary.

Yes. If you are a final year student you are advised to check in case your name has accidentally been added to the list of students who will be finishing their course and can have their accounts deleted.

If you need to take a Leave of Absence and you are in the UK with a student visa, you should seek advice from one of our International Student Advisers in the International Student Support Unit. (ISSU click here) Suspending your studies can have very serious implications for your visa and the University will almost certainly have to report you to the UK Border Agency for not attending. This would mean that you have to leave the UK and would have to get a new visa to be able to return to your studies after your Leave of Absence. You can contact the ISSU on 0121 204 4567 or by calling into The Hub or click here for ISSU.